Today's electronic stability control (ESC) systems are typically very efficient in preventing a vehicle from spinning. There are however situations, where the vehicle can spin despite an active ESC system. For example, if the vehicle is braking on a surface where different wheels experience different friction, also referred to as a split-μ surface, with two wheels on low-μ and two wheels on high-μ and for some reason both rear wheels end up on low-μ then the vehicle will spin regardless of driver input. Other cases include driving on black ice with excessive driver input, ESC hydraulic failure or a flat tire, worn out or otherwise defective rear tire.
If a car spins despite an active ESC system, the driver is often too shocked to remember to activate the hazard lights. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a function in a vehicle for automatically activating the warning lights if the driver loses control of the vehicle.